Vulcan Orientation

UH Hilo's New Student Orientation - group photograph of incoming class

Orientation is filled with fun activities, events, and workshops all designed to Create Connections with other new students, with our amazing UH Hilo faculty, and with numerous campus resources and the awesome staff that run them. We will also have workshops which will help to set you up to be Academically Successful here at UH Hilo, and of course there will be lots and lots of Vulcan spirit as we welcome you into our university ʻohana (family).

Fall 2023 Vulcan Orientation will be held August 16 & 17, the week before school.

Please look out for the Orientation Registration. The link should appear within the next few weeks.

Orientation is open to all class standings, new, and transfer students. There's a little bit of everything for everyone.

2023 Fall Orientation

We look forward to meeting all of you!

We are excited to perpetuate a tradition of making hundreds of lei laʻi for our incoming Fall cohort.

You may want to review Frequently Asked Questions asked by new students about Orientation.

Getting here…

When should I arrive?

If you are living on campus in the Residence Halls please take time to review the following important dates and rate information.

Travel Arrangements

As you are making your travel arrangements, be sure to check out our Travel Info page. You could be eligible for a discounted flight.

What others have said

We always like to assess the programs that we offer so that we can continue to improve the way in which we support the success of our students. Here are a couple of things our students told us last year about their Orientation experience:

97% said “Orientation helped me feel welcomed to UH Hilo”
93% said “Through Orientation I learned about resources and offices on campus”
99% said “Orientation helped me feel better prepared to start my first semester at UH Hilo”
92% said “I would recommend this orientation program to other new students”

One student said:

"I am a non-traditional transfer student and, even though I am not freshman age or a new student, I really got a lot out of attending orientation. I didn't feel singled out because of my age or where I'm from. In fact, I felt right at home because of the incredible diversity in age and ethnicity on campus. I'm glad I am attending UH Hilo and I would highly recommend attending it to my friends and family."

Another student said:

"It was very helpful in my transition into college, I recommend this program to new upcoming freshmen."